STRATIFIED SECURITY PRODUCTS AND DOCUMENTS
DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY
The present invention relates to the field of protective laminate products resistant to forgery or obvious forgery, in particular, although not exclusively, to products laminated to security film for identity documents. To reduce the possibility of falsification or falsification, documents can be provided with security features. Many and varied security features are possible, including guilloche and fine line printing, holograms and other optically variable devices, microprinting, visible ultraviolet features and others. Such features can be applied directly to a surface of a document, such as a paper document or card. Some examples of documents are identity cards, driver's licenses and passports. An objective of a potential falsifier or forger may be to alter the details of a document, so that it can later be reliably accepted in amended form. For example, it may be technically feasible to alter an identity document, so that it shows the details of a person different from the one to whom the document was originally issued. Alternatively, the details of the person identified in the document can be altered. To avoid or reduce
At least the risk of undetectable amendments being made, several degrees of security features can be applied to a document. A simple safety feature is that of a simple film applied by adhesion to a surface of a document, thus covering and protecting the underlying details. The film is typically a polymeric material in a film of a material, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or polyester, with a thermally fusible adhesive layer. This provides a minimum level of security and can also be commonly used to simply protect the details in the document so that they do not wear out with use. However, a potential disadvantage is that the removal of the adhering film and therefore the exposure of the underlying details can allow the alteration of the details. After the alteration, a similar or the same film can then be applied and make the document indistinguishable to a certain degree from a genuine undisturbed document. Security features can additionally be applied to the film itself. This would reduce the possibility of reapplying a similar film, depending on the degree of security that is provided. However, it may still be possible to remove the film in one piece, alter the underlying document and then re-apply the same film. With this possibility, any type of safety features in the film, or carried by it, would not necessarily make the document resistant to alteration.
To further improve the security of a document protected by a bonded film, printed security features can be applied to the underside of the film, so that the printed security features are thus adhered between the film and the document. This makes it more difficult to remove the film without harming the printed security features. However, such films are typically of a thickness of 50 microns or more, to take into account the handling of the film during the printing process and the subsequent adhesion to the document. The removal and the new application of the film is therefore still a possibility. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the possibility of undetectable falsification of a document. It is a further object of the invention to provide a film having features or properties that make it more difficult or impossible to undetectable alteration of a document to which the film is applied. In a first aspect, the invention provides a laminated product for an identity document resistant to counterfeiting, the laminated product comprising: a carrier film having a first adhesive layer on a surface thereof, the first adhesive layer comprising one or more characteristics visible matches; and a cover film having a first surface removably bonded to the first adhesive layer and a second
surface having a printed security feature and a second adhesive layer thereon, wherein the cover film has a thickness not greater than 12 microns. In a second aspect, the invention provides a layered product for an entity document resistant to counterfeiting, the layered product comprising: a carrier film having a first adhesive layer on a surface thereof, the first adhesive layer comprising one or more characteristics of visible matches; and a cover film having a first surface removably bonded to the first adhesive layer and a second surface having a printed security feature and a second adhesive layer thereon, wherein the printed security feature is in predetermined coincidence with a or more visible matching characteristics of the first adhesive layer. In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing a layered product for a tamper-resistant document, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a carrier film;
(b) applying a first adhesive layer to a surface of the carrier film, the first adhesive layer comprising one or more visible matching characteristics; (c) bonding a first surface of a cover film to the first adhesive layer; (d) applying a second adhesive layer to a second surface of the cover film; and (e) printing a security feature on the second surface of the cover film, wherein the security feature is printed in predetermined registration with the one or more characteristics of the first adhesive layer. In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a falsification-resistant document, having one or more pages, a page of the document comprising on one surface thereof: printed security information; and a cover film having a first surface comprising a printed security feature, the first surface being bonded to the surface of the page with an adhesive layer, the security feature being interposed between the cover film and the surface of the page, the cover film having a thickness no greater than 12 microns. In a fifth aspect, the invention provides a method of applying a stratified film resistant to falsifications, to a page of a
identity document, a surface of the page comprising printed details and an image of a user, the method comprising: providing the stratified product of the first aspect of the invention; position the stratified product on the surface of the page with the security feature in agreement with the printed details and the image of the user; and thermally melting the second adhesive layer to the surface of the page. In a sixth aspect, the invention provides a falsification-resistant document having one or more pages, a page of the document comprising on one surface thereof: a cover film having a first surface and a second surface; and a carrier film having a first adhesive layer on a surface thereof, the first adhesive layer being removably bonded to the second surface of the cover film, the first surface of the cover film being bonded to the surface of the page with a second adhesive layer, a security feature being interposed between the cover film and the surface of the page, wherein an edge of the surface of the carrier film comprises a portion having a reduced adhesion to the film of
cover, the portion being adapted to make it possible for a user to detach the carrier film from the cover film. Modes of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1a shows a schematic plan view of a carrier film with an adhesive coating applied thereto;; Figure 1 b shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the carrier film and the adhesive coating of Figure 1 a; Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a cover film, applied to the carrier film of Figure 1 a; Figure 3a shows a schematic plan view of a laminated product comprising an arrangement of the printed security designs applied to the cover film of Figure 2; Figure 3b shows a first schematic alternative cross-sectional view of the laminated product of Figure 3a; Figure 3c shows a second schematic alternative cross-sectional view of the laminated product of Figure 3a; Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of a security layered product; Figure 5 shows a schematic plan view of an identity document; Figure 6 shows the security layered product of Figure 4 in place on the identity document of Figure 5;
Figure 7 shows the identity document and the security layered product of Figure 6, after a retouching operation; and Figure 8 shows the identity document and the security layered product of Figure 7, after the removal of a portion of the carrier film. Shown in FIGS. 1 a-1 b is a carrier film 10 on which a first adhesive layer 11 is superimposed, or otherwise applied. The carrier film can be any suitable polymeric film material, preferably transparent. A material of such a nature in common use is polyester. An advantage of the carrier film being transparent is that the security document can be checked before removing the carrier film. The manufacturer or supplier of the security document can thus check the document before its delivery to the end user, who could be instructed to remove the carrier film. The carrier film could be composed, for example, of paper-based material. The first adhesive layer 11 is applied, in such a way that one or more edges 13 are visible on the carrier film 10. In the example shown, the first adhesive layer 11 is applied as a discontinuous coating, for example in longitudinal strips, with areas uncoated 12
between them, the straight edges 13 being defined at interfaces between the coated areas 11 and the uncoated areas 12. In a general aspect, the first adhesive layer 1 1 is provided as a discontinuous coating on the surface of the carrier film 10, the edges 13 of the discontinuous coating providing visible coincidence characteristics. Conventionally, the adhesive materials used for the carrier films are substantially colorless and transparent. After overlying and drying on a substrate, such as the carrier film 10, any patterns or edges defined by such adhesive material could therefore be difficult to determine and could consequently be unsuitable for use as matching characteristics for the prints or layers subsequent overlays. The adhesive material of the invention can be made advantageously visible, for example by adding a pigment to an otherwise transparent or colorless adhesive material. This makes it possible for the features, such as the edges 13 shown in Figure 1 a, to be visible and therefore used as matching characteristics. The expression "visible" is intended, in this context, to encompass what is visible to the human eye and / or what is visible to a machine capable of detecting coincidence characteristics. Pigments or dyes can be used to color the adhesive material. Suitable visible pigments can be titanium dioxide or organic or inorganic dyes. Pigments or dyes can be used
that may not be visible to the human eye, but that are susceptible to detection by an adequate machine vision system. Such pigments or dyes may comprise or be composed, for example, of organic pigments, inorganic pigments or dye-based materials that are sensitive to infrared and / or ultraviolet radiation. In the arrangements mentioned above, the absence of the adhesive material 11 in the uncoated areas 12 prevents the carrier film from clumping on a cover film after thermally melting the films together. In alternative arrangements, an additional layer of non-adhesive material may be applied to the surface of the carrier film 10, for example over regions corresponding to the uncoated areas 12 in Figure 1 a. The non-adhesive material can be applied on the adhesive material 1 1, and the adhesive material can cover substantially all of the carrier film. The non-adhesive material can be pigmented to be visible, in the same manner as described above in relation to the adhesive material. The underlying adhesive material may be non-pigmented or pigmented differently compared to the non-adhesive material, so that it is possible to match the edges of the layer of non-adhesive material. In a general aspect therefore, the carrier film comprises portions having reduced adhesion to the cover film, these portions being adapted to make it possible for the user to detach
the carrier film of the cover film. Such portions can be obtained, either in the absence of an adhesive material or with the addition of an additional layer of non-adhesive (or minimally adhesive) material. The non-adhesive layer may comprise, for example, a pigmented release layer other than silicone. The use of an additional layer of non-adhesive material on the adhesive material provides at least two advantageous functions. First, the non-adhesive layer prevents the underlying adhesive material from clumping with the carrier film during the adhesion process. Second, the non-adhesive layer, if pigmented, can be used to provide matching characteristics for additional printing and adhesion procedures. It should be understood that additional references to the adhesive layer 1 1 are intended to encompass arrangements that include the non-adhesive layer as part thereof. For example, if matching characteristics are provided, these can be provided on any of the adhesive and non-adhesive layers (or both). Alternatively, the adhesive layer 11 can be applied as a discontinuous coating, for example in the form of a plurality of points or islands isolated from each other on the carrier film. A reduced adhesion can therefore be achieved by a reduction in the area density or the size of the points.
Figure 1 b shows a schematic protruding section along AA 'shown in Figure 1 a, with the first adhesive layer 11 applied on a surface of the carrier film 10. The thicknesses of the adhesive layer 11 and the carrier layer 10 They are not to scale and are exaggerated to illustrate the principle. Typically, the thickness of the carrier film 10 will be substantially greater, for example 10 times that of the applied adhesive layer 1 1. While the cover film 20 may be 12 microns or thinner, the carrier film 10 may be to the 75 micron thick region, thereby providing a degree of handling ability to the cover film. The thickness of the adhesive layer 11 depends on the particular formulation used and the method of application, but may be in the order of tens of microns. Shown in Figure 2 is the carrier film 10 with the first adhesive layer 11, and a cover film 20 applied. A first surface 20a of the cover film 20 is thus bonded to the adhesive layer 11, for example by the application of heat and / or pressure through the thickness of both films 10,11. Preferably the adhesive layer 11 comprises a "dry release" adhesive material, ie an adhesive that allows the carrier film to be stripped from the cover film, leaving little or no residue on the cover film. The adhesive layer 11 can have a low or reduced tackiness, for example in the form of an adhesive in micro spheres, advantages of which include the ability to re-apply and a
stickiness stable over time. Because the adhesive 11 binds more strongly to the carrier film 10, i.e. by having greater affinity to the carrier film surface, the cover film 20 of the carrier film 10 can be subsequently removed (or vice versa), for example by peeling, the first adhesive layer 1 1 remaining entirely bonded to the carrier film 10. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive layer 11 could instead be applied to the cover film 20 prior to the binding of the cover film 20 to the carrier film 10. Controlling the affinity of the adhesive layer 11 to the film surface 20a and the carrier film 10 can then result in the adhesive layer 11 being effectively transferred to the carrier film 10 after the carrier film 10 is peeled from the carrier film 10. cover film 20, leaving the adhesive layer 11 intact on the carrier film 10. In this alternative arrangement therefore, the first adhesive layer 1 1 is bonded to the surface 20a of the cover film 20 before the step of applying the first adhesive layer 11 to the surface of the carrier film 10. Figures 3a-3c show schematically an additional procedure applied to the stratified product of Figure 2. In Figure 3a and the cross section of Figures 3b and 3c, multiple printed designs 31 are applied to the second surface 20b of the cover film 20. The printed designs 31 preferably comprise one or more features security, such as those given above for example. The designs
printed matter 31 are preferably in register with one or more characteristics of the first adhesive layer 11 underlying. Suitable matching characteristics can be provided by the visible edges 13 mentioned above. Other features, such as fiducial marks or other common print matching characteristics, can also be provided alternatively, in the first adhesive layer 11, so that the printed designs 31 can be matched with the adhesive layer. It should be understood that the term "matches" is intended to embrace a printed design 31 on the cultured film 20 that is repetitively aligned within the plane of the cover film 20 to a predetermined degree with respect to an underlying region of the first layer adhesive 11. For example, for example the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 3a, each printed design 31 comprises at least one feature that is matched at a fixed position with respect to at least one of the linear axes x, y and with a rotation G theta, with reference to an edge 13 of the first adhesive layer 11. Matching with the printed design 31 can be achieved by various methods known to those skilled in the art. A preferred method, which typically results in improved accuracy, repeatability and speed, involves a machine vision system as part of an automatically adjustable printing apparatus. The machine vision system can be used to align the cylinder, plate or printing screen that
it comprises the printed design 31 to be applied to the cover film 20 with one or more characteristics of the first adhesive layer 1, such as the visible edges 13. A possible method of matching the printed characteristics of the cover film to the visible characteristics of the carrier film is aligning the visible edges of the adhesive layer 11 (or non-adhesive layer) in relation to the features provided in the cover film. Such features can be, for example, in the form of coincidence marks placed along the edges of the cover film. The alignment of these marks with the edges 13 on the carrier film allows the alignment, at least along the axis Y, of the adhesive layer 11 with the printed features 31 of the cover film. Once the printed features 31 have been applied to the cover film cover 20, it should be understood that the matching of the designs 31 can be achieved to any subsequent substrate, to which the stratified product must be applied, either by matching with the characteristics of the first adhesive layer 11 or with the printed designs 31, depending on the specific requirements. More than one printing process can be applied to the cover film, for example applying more than one color to a particular printed pattern or applying different printed security features. Preferably, each method involves the matching of the respective device, pattern or design with the visible matching characteristics of
the first adhesive layer 11 underlying. However, as explained in more detail below, it is also possible to apply the security features to the cover film prior to the application of the cover film to the carrier film. It should be understood that references to printed designs or patterns 31 may include references to more than one design or pattern printed separately. It should be understood that the references to printing or printing methods are intended to encompass also other similar types of processes of applying images, labels or other features visible to a substrate. The second surface 20b of the cover film 20 is further provided with a second adhesive layer 32, as shown in Figures 3b and 3c (and not shown in Figure 3a for clarity). The second adhesive layer can typically be a polyester or acrylic material. This second adhesive layer 32 is preferably provided substantially over the entire second surface 20b of the cover film 20 and covers at least the areas defined by the first adhesive layer 1 1 underlying. The second adhesive layer 32 can be provided with either a layer before printing the designs 31, as shown in Figure 3b, or as a superimposed layer covering the printed designs 31, as shown in Figure 3c. As for the first adhesive layer 11, the second adhesive layer 32 is shown in Figures 3b and 3c with an exaggerated thickness for clarity.
After the printed designs 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 have been applied, the layered product 30 can be subdivided, for example by cutting into smaller units comprising one or more individual printed patterns or patterns, each design or pattern 31 comprising one or more security features. An exemplary printed design of such nature is shown schematically in Figure 4, illustrating an exemplary layered product. Figure 4 indicates the appearance of the stratified product 40 in plan view from above of the second surface 20b of the cover film (20, figures 3a, 3b) indicate the first adhesive layer 1 1 visible from below the cover film 20 The second adhesive layer (32, figures 3b, 3c) is provided covering the entire surface of the laminated product 40. The printed design 31 comprises individual security features 41, 42, 43, such as a holographic image 41, and printing characteristics 42, 43. The holographic image 41 on the cover film 20 may comprise a coating with a high refractive index (HRI). Matching features 44a, 44b can be provided as part of the printed design 31. A series of perforations 45 can also be provided at least through the carrier film 10, the perforations 45 allowing the carrier film to be separated into two portions. Perforations 45 can be created in any suitable cover
of the methods of creating the laminated product, for example after the application of the printed design 31. One or more uncoated (or non-adhesive coated) regions 2, bordered by the edges 13 of the first adhesive layer 1 1, can be provided, such that, after application of the layered product 40 to a substrate, the carrier film of the cover film 20 can be easily advanced and detached, as described in more detail below. An exemplary document 50, to which the layered material 40 of FIG. 4 is to be applied, is shown in FIG. 5. The document may comprise matching features 54a, 54b corresponding to the matching characteristics 44a, 44b of the product. stratified 40. The document of Figure 5 comprises security features, such as printed data 51, 53 and a photograph 52. These security features can refer for example to unique characteristics of a user of document 50. If document 50 has to be to understand a part of a booklet, which can be for example a passport, a fold line 55 can be provided through which other booklet pages can be joined by basting. Figure 6 illustrates the laminated product of figure 4 in position on the document of figure 5, with the second surface 20b of the cover film 20 facing towards the document 50, the matching characteristics 44a, 44b of the laminated product being a coincidence with
the matching features 54a, 54b of the document 50. The security features 41, 42, 43 of the layered product 40 are therefore positioned in a predetermined relationship with the security information 51, 52, 53 in the document. For example, the matching of the stratified product 40 with the document 50 allows a security feature 42 to partially overlap at least the security information, such as a photograph 53, so that the alteration of the information 53 is evident. carefully choosing the degree of overlap of any particular security feature 41, 42, 43 with a respective piece of security information 51, 52, 53 to maximize the resistance to alterations of the layered document thus created. Once the stratified product 40 has been permanently applied to the document 50, for example by a thermal fusion process that activates the second adhesive layer 32 to be bound with the document 50, then the stratified document can be retouched. Retouching can be carried out to provide aesthetic edges to the stratified document and remove any matching features, which are no longer needed now. A stratified document 70 is shown in Figure 7 after such a retouching operation. The cover film (20, figures 3a, 3b) together with the security features (41, 42, 43 figure 4) are now permanently attached to the document 50. The uncoated (or non-adhesive coated) region 12 now comprises a portion of "rising
with the finger "71" extending along the edge 72 of the laminated document 70. The lifting portion with the finger 71 can be located alternately on edges of the document different from those shown in Figure 7. The lifting portion with the The finger can alternatively extend over a length less than the full length of the edge of the document 72. Since the carrier film 10 is not firmly bonded to the cover film (20, FIGS. 3a, 3b) on this portion 71, it can be separated. and lifting the carrier film easily by peeling.This lifting and peeling operation can be done before or after other pages are stitched to document 70 along fold line 55. If such a sewing operation is done before, or if the document 50 consists of only one page, the carrier film 10 can be lifted. If it is done after a sewing operation, it can be removed a a portion of the carrier film extending to the perforation line 45, leaving a portion through the fold line 55. After such a removal procedure, the laminated document 80 in its final form is driven in Figure 8. The residual portion of the carrier film 10 and the first adhesive layer 11 is shown on either side of the fold line 55 to the perforations 45. The finger lift portion 71 of the carrier film 10 may comprise one or more printed messages That
they remove together with the carrier film. Such messages may relate, for example, to the instruction of the user of the document to detach the carrier film using the lifting portion with the finger 71. The messages may comprise an additional part of the security features related to the document, for example instructing the user to communicate to a particular telephone number or Internet address to validate or confirm the receipt of the document. The stratified document 80, resulting from the procedures described above, have certain advantages. First, the method of creating and applying the laminated product to the document 40 by the use of a carrier film allows the use of a substantially thinner cover film that can otherwise be made possible, since the cover film is handled. only when it is fixed to the carrier film, which can be of a suitable thickness for its handling, since it has to be discarded finally. Typically, a suitable thickness of the carrier film 10 can be about 50 microns or more, which can be easily handled without bending or tearing. The cover film is preferably substantially thinner than the carrier film. The cover film itself, ie without additional printed or adhesive layers, may for example have a thickness not greater than 12 microns, or alternatively not greater than 5 microns. The adhesive layer 32 (FIGS. 3b, 3c) is typically in the order of tens of microns in thickness, for example in the range of 30 to 35 microns. Adhesive layer 32 is incorporated, without
However, at least partially the underlying security document by the fusion process terminates and therefore does not form a substantial part of the cover film after fixing to the document. A suitable exemplary cover film is a 4.5 micron thick PET or polyester film. This film thickness is not manually manageable without tearing or bending, except in the form of a spool, in which form the cover film would typically be applied to the carrier film. Once applied, the cover film can thus be printed or handled in view of the stability provided thereto by the carrier film. The application of the security features to the cover film, and its subsequent transfer to the stratified document, therefore, would not be generally practical without the thicker carrier film acting as support. In certain aspects, however, it may be possible to apply security feature, such as one or more HRI coatings, to the cover film before applying the cover film to the carrier film. In such aspects, the cover film incorporating safety features can be prepared separately from the final layered product. In a general aspect, the invention makes it possible to form a cover film in the form of a thin laminated film as a protective security film of a document. Since printed security features interposed between the cover film and the document are provided, the stratified document has an improved level of
security against alteration. In comparison with a conventional thin laminated film (ie a stratified product comprising a film of 50 microns or more and often between 75 and 125 microns), a thin film is practically impossible to remove intact, once applied to the document, for example by a thermal fusion process. The document is therefore better protected against alterations, since any degree of alteration would inevitably affect the underlying security features, which are preferably made so that they are difficult to replicate accurately. The film 20 of the film thin laminate is therefore preferably sufficiently thin to have inherent structural integrity insufficient to survive any attempt to overcome the adhesion of the cover film to the substrate to which it is applied. An additional advantage of certain aspects of the invention is that, by causing a visible first adhesive layer (11, FIGS. 1 a-3c and 7), it is possible to match the first adhesive layer 11 with the printed design 31. In particular, it is possible to match the security features (41, 42, 43, figures 4 and 6) with the first adhesive layer 11. It is therefore possible to match both the security features 41, 42, 43 and the first adhesive layer 11 with the characteristics (51, 52, 53, figures 5 and 6) in the document (50, figure 5). This allows the creation of the survey region with (71, figure 7) in a defined location on the stratified document, which allows easy removal of at least a portion of the
Carrier Film 10. If the ability to exactly match the adhesive layer 11 with the document 70, a lifting region with the finger could not be exactly defined along one edge 72 of the document. It is also contemplated that other embodiments are within the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims.